Who Goes, Who Stays: 2021 Edition

[justford]

Mintz needs to announce one way or the other if he is returning or not. His decision may impact other potential recruits decision in regards to the amount of playing time available next season. He may have already told Cal his plans just not made it public.

[GOCAT15]

If he doesn’t go pro, he’s heading to Michigan State.

In other news, Knoxville outlets are reporting that Barnes had an “hour-long” talk with Powell’s dad. They’re intrigued by the idea of Powell playing with Kessler at UT.

Right now Gonzaga is getting all the buzz for Kessler, so if UK isn’t going to get him but we still want Powell (which we do), we should hope Gonzaga gets the big man.

Or, ya know, Cal could’ve just accepted Powell’s commitment a week or two ago when he was ready to pull the trigger instead of asking him to hold off for whatever dumb reason is going through his head this time.

If Powell goes to UT i'm gonna throw up, and if the story you are saying is true and comes out with more detail down the road, and Cal strikes out on these "big plans" he has I can't imagine how the fan base will react....especially after Powell lights us up for 25 next season when we play them.

[40bill]

Lots of good points in thiis thread. As far as recruiting it seems UK has gone from eating first to skipping supper. I am still amazed that we seem to have slipped from players first to players running the team...and while that is always a part of it, I think this season went to the Boston show. I keep reminding myself Cal built and coached mighty good teams at UMASS and Memphis....and to be honest until real recently here....even though the losses against Wisconsin, North Carolina and Kansas State still grate in the craw.

[George]

Lots of good points in thiis thread. As far as recruiting it seems UK has gone from eating first to skipping supper. I am still amazed that we seem to have slipped from players first to players running the team...and while that is always a part of it, I think this season went to the Boston show. I keep reminding myself Cal built and coached mighty good teams at UMASS and Memphis....and to be honest until real recently here....even though the losses against Wisconsin, North Carolina and Kansas State still grate in the craw.

That Wisconsin loss did lasting damage to the program. Some of y’all have been watching UK basketball for a lot longer than I have, but in all my years as a fan I can’t recall anyone taking a loss that lingered as long as that one.

[Joneslab]

Cal had a pretty decent year on the recruiting trail last year except for the major whiff on Cunningham.

Everybody thought Boston and Clarke were going to be worlds better. Then he went out and got the best big man transfer on the market.

The lack of a point guard was major, and obviously when you've got your Big Three all turn out to be duds that hamstrings a coach. Cal didn't do himself many favors on the bench either.

But just taking the long view, we bash Cal for missing all these recruits but in reality he isn't doing a whole lot of that. He's just having guys who shouldn't leave leave, and he's whiffing on the elite of the elite he got when he first came here.

Last year was a weird, flukish situation. We tend to want to ball it up and assume that's where the program is headed, but it's really not. It looked to me like a one-year outlier. I've certainly never seen some of the things we saw from this Kentucky team last year. Maybe in isolated games (the Duke thrashing, etc.) but not for multiple games like that.

I think it was a bad mix of personnel. But just because it might have been a one-off doesn't automatically mean we'll be awesome again next year. There's still tons of work to do...but the COVID transfer thing handed Kentucky a monumental break.

[Dwight Schrute]

The North Carolina loss doesn't stick with me - I honestly forget about it until someone brings it up.

That Wisconsin loss, though, is every bit as painful as that '92 loss to Duke. Maybe more so because really good times followed that loss, and it seems like we've not been the same since.

[Joneslab]

Very hard to be the same. We were at the apex of the college game. Almost impossible to sustain that. I think a dropoff would've happened had we gone undefeated or lost the way we did.

The bigger question is whether that loss knocked the wind out of Cal, or if Cal is just suffering from burnout because he's so deep into his career. But it is obvious to me that he doesn't have the same energy he did before/during that 2015 season, and I have to think that's played a major part in what's happened to UK since.

[40bill]

As far as losses hurting , the Duke loss will always be there but like Dwight said it sent a signal UK was back.
I didnt get ad upset over the NC loss other than it was what it was. The loss to Ksnsas State the way the bracket had opened was infuriating, but that wasn't any super team. The Auburn loss....well...bad night. Those happen
Wisconsin with history in the hand was and is unfathomable. Even the loss to UCONN in the title game...both those teams were unlikely teams and if UK had hit half the free throws it missed they would have won
but yeah....Wisconsin and the way things have gone remind me of Guy Lewis Houston teams that seemed to lose all the air

[justford]

Very hard to be the same. We were at the apex of the college game. Almost impossible to sustain that. I think a dropoff would've happened had we gone undefeated or lost the way we did.

The bigger question is whether that loss knocked the wind out of Cal, or if Cal is just suffering from burnout because he's so deep into his career. But it is obvious to me that he doesn't have the same energy he did before/during that 2015 season, and I have to think that's played a major part in what's happened to UK since.

I know it is a minor thing but Cal didn’t even dress like he normally did. Might speak to the burnout you mentioned.

[Joneslab]

I know it is a minor thing but Cal didn’t even dress like he normally did. Might speak to the burnout you mentioned.

Well, a lot of coaches did that. The NCAA waived the rule on suits because of COVID.

I've kind of thought Cal was a little burnt out the last two or three seasons. And that's expected because it's so much harder for him now than it was a decade ago. Players aren't beating the door to get here the way they were when he first came.

[Dwight Schrute]

^^
Is there normally a rule on suits? Bob Huggins hasn't worn a suit in...ever.

On that subject, I did notice Rick Pitino wearing a full suit/tie the other day.

[DA#23]

Weight gain, the hip replacement, kids are out of the house.

Maybe some of those normal life things combined with today's happenings, and we're seeing shift in Calipari's approach to things.

[KCKUKFan]

Kentucky has reached out to Kellan Grady, a star guard from Davidson.

I think it's fair to say that this transfer rule is going to gut mid-major programs.

[DA#23]

^ I think so, too. It will be interesting to see how things look in ~ 5 years.

[George]

Kentucky has reached out to Kellan Grady, a star guard from Davidson.

I think it's fair to say that this transfer rule is going to gut mid-major programs.

On paper, he checks a lot of boxes for us. No guarantees, as we know, but I like this one.